If offered would you trade Cassel for a 1st round pick this offseason?

[crownsy]

Yeah, no one is going to give up a top 5 pick but Detroit might give up their top second round pick and still pay the $10 million. The problem with thinking that teams won't pay $10 million a year for Cassel is that one Matt Schaub, Derek Anderson, and a bunch of other backups have gotten big bucks for that same one good year or less.Now factor in what players like JaMarcus Russell, Matt Leinart, Vince Young and Aaron Rodgers are making and suddenly thought thought of franchising Cassel and then getting a draft pick in return for his services before having to sign him isn't such a far fetched idea.

but you have to ruin your cap and give up a franchise tag as the pats.

I question if that will be done to have the possablity of a team deciding it wants to pay 10 mill for a guy for one season that it could  get for 5-7 a year if he were to hit FA.

Whats the motivation from other teams to make this trade, or hint to the pats that they would? why not wait to see if the patriots will do what they always due and not nuke thier cap for the year on a bench player, and get him on the cheap?

[yall hate]

Now factor in what players like JaMarcus Russell, Matt Leinart, Vince Young and Aaron Rodgers are making and suddenly thought thought of franchising Cassel and then getting a draft pick in return for his services before having to sign him isn't such a far fetched idea.

The difference is 3 of those 4 qbs were very early picks (and I think all are still on their initial, absurd contract).

Rodgers looked amazing in the beginning of the year, and they had invested a ton of time in him with the expectation that he would be their longterm solution at qb.

[nickagneta]

I don't know what the Pats will do to try to get something out of the development they've put into Cassel this year, other than wins this year, but I think you are severely underestimating what his numbers translate to on the open market. $5-7 million a year is way to low. Look at the teams in the marketplace that would kill to have a QB that can put up 15-20 td passes, have a 66%+ complettion ratio, be smart with the ball and not turn it over, has decent speed and a decent handle on when to run and gain first downs and have been tutored by Belichick and Brady for four years. He'll get $10 million per or real close to it. If he can get the Pats into the playoffs and wins a game I would guarantee it. Detroit, Kansas City, Minnesota, maybe the Jets, St Louis, Oakland and San Francisco are all teams that could be looking for QB help this off season. Perhaps the Jets, Raiders and Niners not so much but if they decide to go for another option other than their current one, that puts almost 25% of the league looking for good QBs. That's way too many in my book for a bidding war not to ensue and drive his salary into the $10 million + per year area.

[EJPLAYA]

YES!!! Please trade Sam Cassell for a first round draft pick...

[yall hate]

Charlie Casserly (who is truly one of the best on TV right now...) just offered this:

- Pats will not franchise (would be 15 mill a year)
- Expects Cassel to get a deal similar to Matt Schaub's (about 8 mill per year)
- Expects the Pats to get a 3rd round compensatory pick from the NFL as a result

[housecall]

In a heartbeat!

[JSD]

He's a solid quarterback and he's playing good is serious games. What do you guys think?

...Because he's a free agent the Pats will need to put the franchise tag on him before they deal him but why not?

[Chris]

Cassell is a FA next year, so its a moot point...but if that weren't the case I absolutely would do it.

Unfortunately, Cassell will be gone next year, and we won't be getting anything in return.

Not quite, the Patriots will give him the Franchise tag if they think they can get a 1st round pick out of him. I could definitely see that happening and hopefully it does.

No way they give him the franchise tag.  As good as he has been, he is not worth being paid $10 million per year, and that is what they would be stuck with.  All the franchise tag would do would disuade other teams from signing him, forcing the Pats to have the most overpaid backup QB in the league.

OK, I spoke too soon on this.  After his performance the last couple of weeks, I could definitely see the Pats stick the franchise tag on him.  He still is not there yet, but if he continues to play like he did the last two weeks, then he may well be earning a salary close to what the Franchise tag would afford him.  This is getting very interesting.

[Redz]

"He's playing some hell-i-fied football." - Randy Moss

Pretty amazing stuff to see. 

[nickagneta]

Interesting article at the National Football Post discussing just this subject:

Even with Tom Brady making eight figures, the Patriots would be wise to apply the Franchise Tag to Cassel, a tag price that will be determined in February — the amount was 10.7M in 2008, likely to be slightly above that in 2009.  The Patriots are currently showing 101M of Cap charges for 2009 with an expected Cap of 123M, so they will have the room to use the tag.
 

The application of the Franchise Tag, although Cap heavy for the off season, would allow for the following: (1) retention of a quality quarterback while Brady continues his rehabilitation with the team monitoring his progress, (2) no cash outlay of funds until September, allowing cash, if not Cap flexibility, and (3) the ability to listen to trade offers and potentially consummate a trade that could bring players and/or draft picks to the Patriots (at which point a new deal would be made between Cassel and the trading team).

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/2008/11/monday-money-matters-11/

So as it stands the Franchise Tag will probably put a 11-12million dollar number onto the Pats cap which, if this guys numbers are right and the cap goes up to $129 million, still leaves a lot of time and flexibility in the Pats cap situation next year. A trade could easily be done for a top pick if this guy's info is on the money.

[SShorefan 3.0]

Detroit, San Francisco, Kansas City, St. Louis, Minnesota... Any of these teams would give up a first round pick for Matt Cassel.

Minnesota, maybe.  I doubt the other teams are going to give up a top-five pick for Cassel, especially in conjunction with paying him $10 million per season for one decent season.

Correct me if I am wrong, but if the Pats franchised Cassell, they would have to pay him the average of the top 5 for 1 year, but if they removed the franchise tag and traded him, that value is now off the table allowing Cassell's representative and the other team to negotiate a longer term deal that would be better for that team's cap #.

So to hold on to him via the franchise tag (providing he continues at a reasonable level) and then trade him for a second round pick makes all the sense in the world.

[Chris]

Detroit, San Francisco, Kansas City, St. Louis, Minnesota... Any of these teams would give up a first round pick for Matt Cassel.

Minnesota, maybe.  I doubt the other teams are going to give up a top-five pick for Cassel, especially in conjunction with paying him $10 million per season for one decent season.

Correct me if I am wrong, but if the Pats franchised Cassell, they would have to pay him the average of the top 5 for 1 year, but if they removed the franchise tag and traded him, that value is now off the table allowing Cassell's representative and the other team to negotiate a longer term deal that would be better for that team's cap #.

So to hold on to him via the franchise tag (providing he continues at a reasonable level) and then trade him for a second round pick makes all the sense in the world.

That is how I understand it as well.  Basically it all comes down to whether the Pats are willing to take the chance of being stuck with Cassel as a $11 million backup.  After the last couple performances, he may be worth that risk.

[yall hate]

Charlie Casserly said on national tv that it would be 15 million (not sure where he got the number, but I doubt he was wrong...) to franchise Cassel.

The other thing to remember, is that yes they could remove the tag, but you can only remove it if the player doesnt sign the offer.  So cassel could just sign the offer the minute they make the deal, thus guaranteeing the entire 15 million, which would be a disaster for the team, both salary wise and trade wise. 

If the pats were stuck with that at backup qb, it would be a disaster for a team

[nickagneta]

The Pats could franchise him and not sign him right away as the negotiate a longer deal. It almost never happens that a player signs right away for the one year as their agents are doing a huge disservice to their client long if they take that deal. Cassel's agent will be looking for a huge up front bonus plus years for long term security. The chances of Cassel taking the franchise offer right away is extremely slim as it will be pretty obvious to the agent what the Pats are doing and wouldn't want to screw up his client's relationship with the Pats.

[yall hate]

The Pats could franchise him and not sign him right away as the negotiate a longer deal. It almost never happens that a player signs right away for the one year as their agents are doing a huge disservice to their client long if they take that deal. Cassel's agent will be looking for a huge up front bonus plus years for long term security. The chances of Cassel taking the franchise offer right away is extremely slim as it will be pretty obvious to the agent what the Pats are doing and wouldn't want to screw up his client's relationship with the Pats.

this is true, but the act of franchising a player is offering a franchise contract. So as mentioned, if he and his agent realize they might have trouble getting 15 million guaranteed they may sign.  While I agree it wouldnt be a great strategy, you could foresee a situation where he signs, gets 15 mill guaranteed to sit on the bench, then goes back to being a FA next year (it isnt like his skills will have diminished).  I am not advocating this, but it is a real risk for the Pats.